Not only do we need to get some exercise, but so do our four-legged pals. If you have enough space in your backyard, you can build your personalized pet obstacle course. Your canine sweethearts will surely love the exciting wilderness adventure that has been set up for them.
You like spending some time with your pups, and although a dog playpen might be entertaining, it seems kind of out of reach. Fortunately, you might already have the tools and equipment needed to create your course around the property.
Building Your Pet’s Obstacle Course
It makes no difference whether your dog has never been trained before or if you’ve never trained a dog before. You can teach yourself a variety of basic skills. Begin your course with easy leaps, weave posts, and bridges, and you’ll be looking like pros in no time.
But before designing a pet obstacle course, there are a few factors to consider. First, ensure adequate space for each trick you want to put, and add enough room for safety. Anything you build should also be readily disassembled so that your dog is not wounded while training. And, of course, establish patience during their training. In doing so, you’ll both have a good time while gaining experience.
Prep Your Yard
Preparation is essential for quickly and productively building your obstacle course. It saves a lot of time and eliminates expenses by reducing the likelihood of disruptions when the project begins. It also creates an ideal environment when introducing new features and assists you in determining the project’s estimated budget.
After you’ve developed a plausible strategy for the characteristics you want in your lawn, arranging and making the necessary groundwork puts the plan into action. Professional landscaping services enable you to fully envision and catalog your yard’s fixed structures. Then, you can map the position of the features you’ll add.
Jumping
If you and your dog are new to obstacles and training, jumping is a terrific first exercise to teach. And if you happen to have a spare cloth bag and a drape pole, you’ll have everything you need to create short, beginner leaps for your companion.
These are ideal for creating a do-it-yourself canine obstacle course. The most straightforward approach to construct a leap is with moveable rungs that allow you to increase or reduce the height at whatever level your pup is learning. Every jumping obstacle must be foldable. You wouldn’t want your dog to be hurt if they didn’t make it.
Weaving
Do you have any tiny traffic cones leftover from your family’s soccer games? These would be ideal for your furry friend’s weaving path. Arrange the cones as you would for a casual soccer or football game.
You want your structure to be sturdy enough not to topple over every time your dog runs by one. However, it should be light enough for your pets to avoid injury if they run into one like the leaps. They should not be too close or too far from each other.
Tunnel
There are several ways to make a tunnel out of ordinary materials. Do your kids have playground tunnels that they’ve outgrown? These foldable compact corridors are ideal for dog training. Furthermore, when not in use, they can be readily stowed and occupy minimal space.
Dogs new to tunneling exercises might find similar pleasure in a carton box with the base removed. When your dog utilizes the box, you might have to provide extra support. You can always begin with shorter passageways, not more than five feet long until they become used to going through them.
Ramps
Ramps are another entertaining addition to your canine obstacle course. A simple ramp made of thick planks and cinder blocks can be built for them to race upwards and downwards, but make sure it is secure and can handle your dog running up and down it without moving to keep them safe.
Changing Things Up
Want to spice things up a little? Include a handful of extra components in your dog obstacle course. Change the sequence of the obstacles when your dog gets the hang of it and can pass past each barrier by just following your voice orders or hand signals. This task will assist him in grasping that each hurdle has its own set of demands, rather than just continuing along the road he trained on.
Regardless of how you build up your backyard obstacle course, your dog will have a great time. It will also provide your best buddy with some much-needed exercise, and you will have a great time watching them jump from hurdle to hurdle.